
Rules for Ruin
The Crinoline Academy, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Elizabeth Knowelden
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Will Watt
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By:
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Mimi Matthews
About this listen
No one betrays the Academy. But now Euphemia must decide: break the rules for her enemy, or let the rules break her heart.
On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful lord’s systematic attack on women’s rights in Parliament, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.
But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.
From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.©2025 Mimi Matthews (P)2025 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews
"No one writes Victoriana like Mimi Matthews!...Sparks fly between Effie and Gabriel in a thoroughly enchanting romance that promises the start of a new series—I can't wait for the next installment from the Crinoline Academy!"—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author
“Thrilling, poignant, and romantic, Rules for Ruin is a delight! Mimi Matthews’s evocative prose carries readers on an unforgettable adventure through London’s bustling streets and elegant drawing rooms. Euphemia and Gabriel’s romance simmers with electric chemistry, witty banter, and powerful emotion. Readers will love Rules for Ruin!"—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author
"Rules for Ruin is the ultimate cat-and-mouse romance with witty banter, sizzling attraction, and twists of excitement—a perfect first installment to kick off Mimi Matthews’s new Crinoline Academy series. Matthews’s exemplary research brings the Victorian world to life in a visceral way that creates an immersive backdrop as Euphemia and Gabriel go tete-a-tete with one another in the most delicious way."—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Booklover's Library
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The Matrimonial Advertisement
- By: Mimi Matthews
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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She wanted sanctuary... Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill - though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome - is anything but a romantic hero. He needed redemption... Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison.
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Excellent story!
- By Susan Hayes on 12-14-18
By: Mimi Matthews
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The Siren of Sussex
- Belles of London, Book 1
- By: Mimi Matthews
- Narrated by: Vidish Athavale, Lydia Hanman
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs - and with his heart.
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Very Disappointed, not typical Mimi Matthews
- By Regina Holloway on 01-12-22
By: Mimi Matthews
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The Best Intentions
- The Huntresses, Book 1
- By: Sarah M. Eden
- Narrated by: Luone Ingram
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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In the eyes of London Society, Gillian Phelps is suitable enough. Though the ton whispers about her change of residence, any speculation remains just that: ballroom gossip. No one—not even the other Huntresses, the group of ladies she calls her dearest friends—knows that she is harboring a devastating family secret. Gillian has become adept at hiding the reality of her circumstances, but the close quarters of a house party will test her ability to conceal the crushing truth. And with so many people to deceive, the late arrival of another guest is a most unwelcome surprise.
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Undecided
- By C. Y. on 09-14-24
By: Sarah M. Eden
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Pursuing Miss Hall
- By: Karen Thornell
- Narrated by: Noah Wall
- Length: 3 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Nathaniel Blake has been in love with his best friend, Meg, for as long as he can remember. Though a gentleman himself, his status in Society is inarguably below Meg’s own. Determined to avoid the label of “fortune hunter”, Nathaniel has long concealed the feelings of his heart. But when Meg’s parents determine to throw a house party for the sole purpose of marrying her off, it is clear that idleness is no longer an option.
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Sweet and Romantic Novella
- By New Romantic on 05-24-22
By: Karen Thornell
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Bedlam Academy
- Fae Academia, Book 1
- By: Kathy Haan
- Narrated by: Celia Stone, Keval Shah
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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She's thrust into a world of dark magic, temptation at every turn, and a threat she can't protect herself from because first-year students aren't supposed to use their magic. And when she's caught trying, she's made to wear a magic suppression necklace. Can her roommate and his friends protect her? And what if the threat hits a little closer to home?
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Great!
- By ava:) on 05-25-25
By: Kathy Haan
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Bargaining with a Rake
- A Whisper of Scandal Novel, Book 1
- By: Julie Johnstone
- Narrated by: Tristan Hunt
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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For eleven years, Gillian Rutherford has dreamed of escaping her family’s dark secret and living a normal life. Now, faced with an unwelcome marriage that will chain her to London and the secret slowly killing her, she’s frantic to save herself and the sister she adores. Salvation comes in the form of an American shipping tycoon, and all she must do is seduce him into marrying her. But Gillian’s scheme hits a snag when she makes a bargain with a notorious rake. He’ll help her win the hand of his American friend, if she’ll assist him with exacting revenge against her unwanted fiancé.
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Similar to My Fair Duchess
- By Cam on 06-19-15
By: Julie Johnstone
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A Gentleman's Reckoning
- Bachelors of Blackstone's
- By: Jennie Goutet
- Narrated by: Stevie Zimmerman
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Once the most charming rake in London, John Aubin lost everything when he overheard a powerful earl’s fraudulent dealings. Branded a liar and cast out of society, he now lives under an assumed name, working in the very orphanage the earl owns. But Aubin’s purpose isn’t charity—it’s revenge. Sober and focused for the first time in his life, he plans to expose the earl’s corruption and reclaim his good name. Nothing will stand in his way—until he meets her.
By: Jennie Goutet
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An Uncertain Road
- Adventurous Hearts, Book 1
- By: Abbey Downey
- Narrated by: Traci Odom
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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When young widow Flora Montfort returns to America, she’s determined to use her training in auto racing to support herself and her French mother-in-law—even if female drivers are rare in 1905. So when the owner of a successful sporting goods store hires her to drive in the Glidden Tour, a ten-day race through New England, she jumps at the opportunity. Jensen Gable must be convinced that joining the team as the ride-along mechanic is worth the risk. After losing his best friend in a tragic racing accident, Jensen has vowed never to participate in the sport again.
By: Abbey Downey
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John Eyre
- A Tale of Darkness and Shadow
- By: Mimi Matthews
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre, Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Yorkshire, 1843. When disgraced former schoolmaster John Eyre arrives at Thornfield Hall to take up a position as tutor to two peculiar young boys, he enters a world unlike any he's ever known. Darkness abounds, punctuated by odd bumps in the night, strange creatures on the moor, and a sinister silver mist that never seems to dissipate. And at the center of it all, John's new employer - a widow as alluring as she is mysterious.
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Audible Description is Misleading
- By D. Fields on 08-15-21
By: Mimi Matthews
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Deadly Scandal
- The Deadly Series, Book 1
- By: Kate Parker
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Olivia Denis is a content young wife with a carefree life in late 1930s London. Then her world is shattered with the violent death of her husband, Reggie. The police want to call it a suicide and close the case, but Olivia knows Reggie couldn't possibly have fired the fatal shot. Further mysteries surface surrounding her husband's death. Did the trustworthy Foreign Office employee betray government secrets? Was his murder linked to the death of a German embassy clerk the same night? And who searched their flat?
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Insipid Heroine
- By James on 08-14-17
By: Kate Parker
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The Secret Life of a Lady
- The Queen's Deadly Damsels, Book 1
- By: Darcy McGuire
- Narrated by: Polly Edsell
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Lady Hannah Simmons is a quintessential wallflower, unassuming, dowdy yet ignored by most. But underneath her plain exterior, Hannah is hiding a thrilling secret! Unbeknownst to the rest of the ton, she is Queen Victoria’s leading femme fatale, slipping unnoticed through the streets of London and listening to scandalous whispers from lords and ladies. But with daggers in her stockings and pistols in her pockets, Hannah's mission is to apprehend a deadly killer.
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Witty with Spicy Romance
- By Rachael on 06-22-24
By: Darcy McGuire
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Murder Most Melancholy
- By: Rose Pascoe
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Penrose & Pyke venture to the edge of madness when they reunite to investigate two tragic deaths and an old mystery. The last words of a frightened woman may be a vital clue to the disappearance of an old friend, if they aren’t the ravings of delusional lunatic. Detective Constable Charlie Pyke is desperate to find out. But is he desperate enough to risk the life of his sleuthing partner, medical student Grace Penrose? More to the point, can he stop her? The answers lie behind the locked doors of an asylum for wealthy young women of delicate sensibilities, where high walls and dark ...
By: Rose Pascoe
Colourful…”never a dull moment” as Ms Matthews guides the reader through a new and wonderfully imaginative take on Victorian Romance.
Also Ms Knowelden and Mr Watt are are bringing the characters to life in real and heartwarming ways.
I couldn’t stop listening!
Will definitely return for a second enjoyment of this story at a later stage!
The Storytelling
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Unexpected! Loved it!
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The angst in this book is based on a threat that isn’t imagined or fabricated. Ms Matthews adeptly demonstrates her knowledge of (and accurate adherence to) Victorian England culture and the laws of the time.
Men ruled Victoria England (even though Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch). Women were property whose property was legally surrendered to their husbands upon marriage. They owned very little ( if anything) themselves, not even their children were their own.
Men took advantage of this routinely. It was too easy, and women were discouraged and even barred from any education that could help them to either prevent or counteract the injustices.
(I read the horrifyingly true story of one lady whose husband locked her in the attic of her own home for 20 years as he squandered her money and ruined any viable reputation she had).
A woman without a male relative was extremely vulnerable. Even those with a male relative of that man wasn’t strong, or one that didn’t listen to her or had her best interests at heart were vulnerable. Pretty much all women were-because their only defense was a strong male relative.
Women were exploited without any recourse.
Thus the revolutionary concept of “the Crinoline Academy”. It’s an extremely blue stocking idea. The young girls were taught to be free thinkers and weapons against the patriarchy. But even empowered as they were they were still at society’s mercy.
Effy navigates society with ease, even though it is her first time in London and English high society. She confidently embraces being the weapon she was trained to be. Beautiful, manipulative, and fearless.
Unfortunately she is a bit naive of how cruel and powerless she still is.
Even after being physically attacked, the very act of defending herself could very likely land a woman in jail or be hanged.
Enter an intrepid villain who’s rise to power was directly through very unsavory means. No typical street rat could have attained the power Royce has. You can’t come to be the King of the Rookeries by playing nice.
He is “morally grey”- he doesn’t hesitate to enforce a debt but also uses the money (and his time) to ease a little of the retched lives of the residents of the slums surrounding him.
Mr Royce is my favorite kind of MMC. The heroes who truly believe themselves to be the “blackest of villains” -and they have done things that could earn them that title- mean, heartless things. But they don’t take advantage of the defenseless.
It’s not exactly the “cinnamon roll” hero. It’s an elite subset- the thirsty, love starved hero that believes himself the villain (with cause). Yet He is the foil to the rich/handsome/well born/smooth snakes that prey on those that cannot defend themselves.
The guys that look like the “bad guy” from almost every angle but are exactly the man who would be your champion.
The story is well paced, well plotted, with characters you can sink your teeth into.
It is closed door.
Only period swears (mild for today’s terms).
I would highly recommend.
I am Looking forward to the next story. I hope it is Nelly’s story (and I hope it includes Miles!)
Absolutely stellar read- and makes you appreciate how far we have come in rights for women
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Amazing from start to finish
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Wonderful book!
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Will Watt did a good job and Elizabeth Knowelden is currently my FAVORITE historical romance narrator!
A riveting tale!
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Vivid description, deep characters, wonderful story
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Another beautiful read
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Always awesome!
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Great characters!!
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